


Scarlet Swords

by DisorganizedKitten



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Dragon!Kagami, Fencing, Gen, Kagami centric, Kwami Swap, Miraculous Ladybug Secret Santa, sparring as a bonding activity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 11:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17182064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisorganizedKitten/pseuds/DisorganizedKitten
Summary: Moving up in the world of fencing didn't give Kagami many opportunities to make friends. Not that she had really cared that much as it was. But her newest academy switch might just give her a chance to drop the Ice Queen reputation.As they say, a clean slate.





	Scarlet Swords

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bluetreeleaves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluetreeleaves/gifts).



> So you said you liked Kwami swaps and Aus, right? Merry Christmas!
> 
> A huge thank you to @Etoilesjaunes for Betaing for me!

“You know, you should try out for a fencing class.” 

“Oh?”

“Yeah!” Donryu encouraged. “You’re doing better, but if you want to be able to do much against our next sword wielding Akuma, you’ll need to know more than I can teach you in ten minute sessions every few patrols.”

“Are you kidding?” Ladybug asked, shooting Donryu a freaked out look. “You’re the best teacher ever!”

“I know that,” Donryu huffed. “But we aren’t able to meet up enough for it to work, so see if you can get into a fencing academy. You said yourself that you have too much free time.”

Ladybug huffed. “You’re right. But it won’t be the same as training with you.”

“Nothing is,” Donryu replied, smirking. “So you’ll try out?”

“I’ll see if I can find any. No promises though!”

‘No promises’ was the best promise Ladybug could give her. Secret identities and whatnot made it hard to promise each other much more than always having their partner’s back. That didn’t stop Ladybug from doing her best for everything.

Donryu considered herself lucky to have a partner such as her.

 

Kagami made sure her helmet was on securely as she approached the door. It was her only nervous tick, and one she did her best to squash. Being outwardly nervous was a sign of weakness, and while Donryu was allowed to be nervous when fighting supervillains - Ladybug had repeatedly told her that it was okay, she was probably even more nervous every time, and that overconfidence could be a bad thing - Kagami Tsurugi was not. Such would be a disgrace to the Tsurugi name.

Kagami would  _not_ disgrace her family. Mother raised her better than that.

She had been practicing enough to ace this exam. She would get in to the D’Argencourt academy and then work her way through the remaining levels. Who knows? Maybe she and Ladybug would bring down Hawkmoth in time for Ladybug to attend some of her tournaments.  
Kagami could pretend Ladybug was in the crowd too, watching her here.

She snapped herself out of her daze and walked in.

The courtyard was large and full of people, some just standing around, some dueling. The nearest pairs to her each hit a point, one then delving into a conversation about who actually got it, and the other gave their opponent a hand, saying something encouraging that Kagami didn’t catch.

If it continued at this rate, she’d never even be seen, let alone actually able to take the entrance exam.

Or…. She could take advantage of being a Tsurugi. She could demand to be able to try her hand first. It might give her a bad reputation among the other fencers, though - which would, in turn, make it hard to make friends.

She wouldn’t have cared about this before. If she was going to have friends, they needed to be at her skill level, and even then they should stay as acquaintances at best. Well, except for Ladybug. She was neither of those things, and yet Kagami loved spending time with Ladybug. And Longg was, -for lack of a better word - odd. He was so excitable and sweet, but he didn’t shrink away from duty. Both of them made her life more enjoyable, and a part of her wished for more people to feel that with.

But  _fencing_ \- she needed to get in, and the longer she stayed here debating with herself, the more time she lost.  _Never hesitate._

She made her way to the center stage, scanning the crowd for a more eye-catching figure. The adult. Armand D’Argencourt himself.

She found him not too far off from her, in his signature black fencing gear. He was talking with four fencers: three in the basic, provided armor, and one whose lamé was a unique combination of white, pink and red.

That was an interesting color choice, and a rather complex one too. Suitably distracting in a fight if the opponents’ focus isn’t in stone. Smart. But only if the referee would actually allow it in a match.

“Hey you! Are you M. D'Argencourt, the fencing master?” Internally she wanted to wince at how disrespectful she was being, and at her stupid question. She didn’t. No signs of weakness. It wasn’t like it would matter anyway, not as long as she got in. "I want to join your team.”

 D’Argencourt turned to look at her. “Only the best are admitted here, you knave!” He called back.

He wanted the best? “And I was, everywhere I went.” If she wasn’t the best here, she would learn to be. That was the whole point.

D’Argentcourt looked offended. Maybe she was overdoing it? Well, if he couldn’t handle someone challenging him maybe she needed to find another school. “Part le fer! This whippersnapper has nerve! All right! I may consider your admission, shall you defeat one of my students.”

Not even a hard challenge, as long as she was confident - and maybe a tad flashy, so she actually impressed the fencing master - but she definitely wasn’t fighting anyone below her level. She stepped off the stage and strode into the crowd. “Which one of you is the best combatant?”

The group shuffled nervously, most of them veering out of her way as she walked towards D’Agencourt and his group.

“Adrien, please give our visitor a lesson in chivalry.” She might have deserved that slight. Kagami didn’t dwell on it though, watching as D’Argencourt nodded at one the students in white, causing him to smirk and flick his helmet down.

Cocky. That was good for her. Those who were cocky were rarely good fighters, not wanting to waste effort on others unless it benefited them.

“I shall, Master.”

D’Argencourt led them towards the piste, and they hooked themselves up. They tested the box, tapping each other on the shoulders, and then stepped back, readying for battle.

“En garde! Prêt...” Kagami took a deep breath as they slipped into their starting poses, eyes closing as she focused.

“Allez!”

Her eyes snapped open, and she was off. Flèche, parry, riposte feint, actual thrust, duck, thrust, parry, riposte, and…  _Point!_ The buzzer lit up on both sides, and Kagami groaned silently. So maybe he wasn’t as cocky as she thought. He had some actual skill.

“Abstention!” D’Argencourt called. A good call, considering.

She stepped back, and was in her starting position moments before her opponent was.

“En garde!” D’Argencourt started.

Kagami scanned the area again, realizing the next match would probably go the same way the last had. The piste was too restricting for a real fight.

“Wait. I request that we do it the old-fashioned way. We'll be much more at ease without the machine.”

“Adrien?” D’Argencourt asked, turning to his fencer.

“Fine with me.” her opponent nodded, unplugging himself.

Kagami did the same, and, seeing a truly perfect opportunity, backflipped off the platform, performing a few controlled strikes as she landed.

“En garde! Pret… allez!”

Attack, displace, parry, spin riposte, flèche, displace, let him gain ground, thrust, remise, flick, remise, up the stairs, force him against the banister, displace, flip over his head, taunt, thrust, parry, riposte, thrust, displace, flèche, displace, that failed, onto her feet in the library, switch sides, use corner thrust, taunt, and,  _point!_

She felt the tap on her shoulder at the same time.

Kagami glanced around, hoping someone had followed them up who could decide the winner. And hopefully someone without a bias. The fencer in the complex lamé was standing in the doorway.

“Well, who got the first hit?” Kagami urged.

“I-I don’t know! It’s confusing, I think I missed most of it, I really can’t be sure who got the point,” she said, pulling her hands closer to her.

D’Argencourt skidded into view, his eyes wild. “Who won? Who got the point? I must know!”

“I don’t know!” the referee repeated, looking between them. “I got here at the tail end of the match, I can’t be sure.”

D’Argencourt sighed. “Alright. Since you tied with Adrien, you’ll go up against Marinette. She’s our next best fencer, if you can beat her you’re in.”

“What?” The girl asked, flipping her head between Kagami and the fencing teacher. “I’m not that good! Really! Can’t they just go against Adrien again?”

Kagami narrowed her eyes through her helmet. If they were unsure of themselves, hesitant to fight, this girl should be an easy win. Adrien, who she had just fought, had been confident and open about his perceived abilities, to the point she had considered him cocky, and been proven wrong. She tied with him. The new girl - Marinette, if she heard right - wasn’t even wearing her helmet right. Not to mention, second best, even the coach had said it. This would be easy. “I accept the challenge.”

Marinette squeaked, jumping a bit before moving to fix her helmet. “Alright. I left my saber down a level though so if you’ll just give me a moment to-”

“You can use mine,” Adrien spoke up, flipping his sabre in his hand - Kagami wanted to scoff but her entrance had been a little grand today, so she’d give him a pass - and offering it to the girl. “It’s not your lucky red, but you’ve got talent, which is even better.”

“Alright!” Marinette squeaked, taking the sabre and closing her helmet clumsily. She moved into a starting stance, a little stiff, but correct nonetheless.

Kagami leveled her sabre at her opponent.

“En garde!” D’Argencourt started again. “Pret!” Kagami scanned her opponent and surroundings, ready to be off. “Allez!”

Kagami lunged, and Marinette replied by quickly parrying her attack. Her earlier assessment had been right, the flashing of colors was slightly distracting. But she had fought worse as Donryu, - heaven knows Hawkmoth has a horrible sense of fashion, and some of those akuma were definitely made to try and blind them - and she was able to block it out.

Kagami lunged, putting more force and focus into the attack.

Soon, there was nothing but movement and attacks. Parry, riposte, parry, thrust, feint, remise, displace, parry, compound riposte, flèche, displace, thrust, drive her out of the library, displace, flick, remise, push her onto the stairs, displace, go for the blade, dodge her riposte, parry and riposte back, pris de fer, block her exit, and  _point._

Almost too easy.

“Looks like you won fair and square!” her opponent said, pulling her helmet up. “Good match?” she offered a hand.

Kagami shook her hand, pulling up her own visor to look at D’Argencourt.

He looked rather put out about his student not winning, but he was a sportsman. “Point goes to the lady in red. And you name, young maiden?”

“Kagami Tsurugi.”

Whispers echoed throughout the crowd; Kagami had to fight back a smile. Coming from a prestigious fencing family had its perks. Perks that would probably alienate her, but whatever. She had won. D’Argencourt had to let her in now.

“Ah. Well, Mlle. Tsurugi, I suppose I must make good on my word and let you into the academy. I expect nothing less than what you’ve shown here, understood?”

“Yes sir!”

D’Argencourt turned and stalked off, leaving Kagami, Marinette, and the crowd in the courtyard on their own.

“I’ve heard of you!” one of the other fencers said, coming closer to Kagami. “Is it true you won your first tournament as a prematernelle against a fencer two years older?”

She took a split second to wonder if she should take the ice queen route with this group or try to follow Ladybug’s lead and be friendly.

“He was only a year older, but he was two years ahead. The trick is to use your surroundings.”

“That’s amazing! Can I spar with you while M. D’Argencourt is going through the other trainees?”

Kagami glanced around at the crowd. This would either turn into hero worship and bragging rights, or she might make more friends. And fencing friends. “Why not? Does anyone want to referee?”

“I can!” Marinette offered. “If I can keep up with you this time.” A few fencers snorted at this. Kagami smiled and pulled her helmet down again.

“En garde? Pret. Allez!”


End file.
